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Effect of antiepileptic drugs on thyroid function
Author(s) -
KIMURA MASAHIKO,
YOSHINO KUNIO,
SUZUKI NORIKO,
MAEOKA YUKINORI
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.1995.tb01889.x
Subject(s) - thyroid function , medicine , antiepileptic drug , thyroid , pharmacology , epilepsy , neuroscience , endocrinology , psychology , psychiatry
Chronic treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AED) is known to reduce serum thyroid hormone levels. Serum thyrotropin (TSH) level is unchanged despite low thyroxine (T 4 ) level. We studied serum tri‐iodothyronine (T 3 ), T 4 and TSH in 30 epileptic patients prior to discontinuation and 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks after AED discontinuation. One AED was discontinued in each patient. Serum T 3 levels were reduced consistently after AED discontinuation. Serum T 4 and rT 3 levels were increased, but not persistently. Serum TSH levels were unchanged. Our results suggest that during AED treatment serum T 3 level was increased. This could be an increased conversion of T 4 to T 3 . An acceleration of thyroid hormones degradation by enzyme induction is physiologically balanced by an increased conversion of T 4 to T 3 .